Evayne knew, firsthand, the truth of those stories. Loyalty had not been a luxury to Ellora

Decravet AKalakar upon the Annagarian fields; it was not a luxury now. It was bred into bone and blood.

"I owe you my life." Blunt.

"You would have been safe if you had abandoned the three companies."

"I've heard it said," The Kalakar replied, grinning ferociously. "But I am safe. And I didn't leave them. They were mine."

"And still are. If I'm not mistaken, the Primus looks familiar."

"Just as d.a.m.ned pretty as the day we first signed him on, too." She grinned. "But not quite as earnest."

They were silent as the young Sentrus was rescued from the kitchen help, dragged to his feet, and

sent into a more traditional combat.

"Why have you come now?"

"Do you mean, why have I come at all, or is the timing significant?"

"Both."

"I will answer the second first. Yes. The timing is significant. There will be a call to an execution

in the capital of Averalaan Aramarelas. Refuse to join it, no matter what tidings come that might otherwise cause you to support such an action." "I've reason to believe in your advice, Evayne of nowhere, and I will take it as I can. I suppose it would be a waste of words to ask you just what in the h.e.l.ls is going to happen?" Before Evayne could finish drawing breath, The Kalakar continued. "As I thought. "What of the answer to the first question?"

"I wish a boon."

"Granted."

"And you haven't heard it yet? You are trusting for a woman of your rank and station."

"I'm a d.a.m.ned good judge of character. What is it, exactly, that you want?"

"A moment of privacy. May I?" She lifted her hands. "Hold." The Kalakar turned and looked up to the near-empty galleries above, lifted her hands in a quick two-cut jab, and then nodded in satisfaction. "Yes."

Evayne smiled and began to cast the net of silence within which she could speak in peace. Very few were the mages who could breach her spells now, and not one of them was upon Kalakar grounds. The Kalakar's mages were less subtly trained.

"In the courtyard, upon the southern terrace, is a young woman. She is my height, and my weight,

but she wields the blade so well she could take on the King's Challenge and win."

A pale brow rose slightly. "You think highly of her."

"I think highly of her ability."

It was a difference that was not lost upon either woman. "Go on."

"I wish you to take her on."

"Pardon?"

"I wish for her to become a part of the Kalakar army."

"Kalakar doesn't have an army."

"Very well; if you will preserve that myth, the Kalakar House Guards."

"Why?"

"Because you need her, and because she needs you."

"Ah. We finally become cryptic." There was a measured pause before Evayne spoke again; when

she did, she chose her words carefully and spoke them slowly as if each one were reluctantly

yielded. "The kin are hunting for her."

The woman who was, in private, Ellora AKalakar, missed a beat. The narrowing of her eyes was a chill shift of expression. "Who sent them?"

Silence. Evayne's lips became a thin line as she turned away momentarily.

"Why?"

"That I honestly do not know. And I wish I could tell you; it would ease my mind."

"Where is she from?"

Evayne met the older woman's eyes, opened her mouth to speak, and then shut it again. In spite

of herself, her admiration for a woman who was, perhaps, not the best of rulers, kept meaningless words at bay.

"I see," The Kalakar said softly. "Do you trust the girl?"

"Do I? Does it matter? You are The Kalakar, and it is under you that she will serve. She will meet your standard, and pa.s.s your test, or she will not."

"Not true," The Kalakar replied. "You asked it as a boon-and for your aid in the ma.s.sacre of the Averdan hollows, I have granted it. But you've told me enough, seer." Turning, she called down to the Primus in the pit. He looked up, surprised at the interruption. "I've matters to attend to, Gavren; the mettle of the men of the Blue Linnet will have to be settled tomorrow."

She turned crisply back to the blue-robed woman who waited in amused silence. "This girl is on the visitor's terrace?"

Evayne nodded almost ruefully. "And it appears," she said, her voice growing softer, "that you must greet her on your own."

Because she had seen it once before-and that once at such a dark time that the memory was indelible-The Kalakar said nothing as the light of day and the play of shadows beneath the open ceilings seemed to swallow the older woman. Then, gripping the signet ring tightly in the palm of her hand, she smiled.

She was not a woman who liked to be in debt; not a woman who balked at the chance to repay old debts and have done.

To the air, she brought her forearm across her chest in salute both to the past and the future. And then, that taken care of, she strode quickly out to the courtyard; curiosity was her worst weakness.

If Evayne had been worried that The Kalakar might see the unprepossessing size of the girl and dismiss her as unsuitable for the soldier's trade, her fear was unfounded. Although in height and weight the dark-haired young woman seemed slight, she pivoted into a defensive stance that was so sure it spoke of either years of experience or an instinctive natural ability-or both. She wore armor, a fine-linked shirt with plated joints at knee, shoulder, and elbow. But the links were of black metal. Not painted, for paint would catch the light and this seemed to drink it in. Something was familiar about the workmanship-and it was something that Ellora did not like, although it was not obviously Annagarian or, worse, Allasakari in make; those she knew well enough to spot at a hundred yards.

Slim, steady fingers rested upon the pommel of a sheathed sword. It was not bonded. The sword itself was both long and wide; it looked, sheathed, to have a Southern weight to it, but not a Southern curve. Ellora wanted to see it-although, Kalliaris willing, not from the wrong end.

There was danger here; an old soldier's instinct sent a chill, wordless whisper down The Kalakar's left ear. She'd only ignored it once. Learned not to, d.a.m.ned quickly.

The girl sized her up as well, returning her measured stare with a tight-lipped defiance. But she didn't speak. After five minutes, it became clear that she wasn't going to.

"You're not from around here." It wasn't a question. "No."

"Good."

At that, the young woman raised a dark brow. "You've just committed three serious protocol errors, and you're only a civilian." She paused. "First; I'm The Kalakar. There are ten important Houses, and I rule one of them. You bow when you enter my presence, and you wait until I've acknowledged that bow before you rise. Second: I'm your elder-by a good number of years- and were I not your superior, manners would still demand that you at least lower your head.

Third: You are the supplicant here. I've granted you an audience, which means I'm willing to hear you speak. If you want something from me, you ask me-you don't wait for me to ask you. Is that clear?"

"Am I?"

"Are you what?"

"A supplicant?"

It was not what Ellora expected to hear. "Aren't you?"

"It depends."

Definitely not what Ellora expected. "This," she said dryly, "should be interesting. There's food

here; do you mind if I join you?" The irony in her tone, heavy enough to crush a lesser man,

didn't seem to bother the younger woman in the slightest.In fact, it didn't seem to be apparent to her. At all. I must be getting subtle in my old age. "What exactly does it depend on?" It was obvious that Ellora was not the only woman to be nonplussed. The girl opened her mouth to speak, but, having nothing to say, clamped her lips into an uncomfortably narrow line. Her eyes, narrowed as well, searched the older woman's-but when she didn't find what she seemed to be searching for, she relaxed. Which is to say, her knuckles, white around the sword's hilt, took on color as her grip loosened. She did not let go.

"Let's start again," Ellora said. "Why have you come to my House?"

"She brought me here."

"I see. Did she say why?"

"She said I would find service and food here."

"Perhaps she didn't make it clear that the service was to be offered to Kalakar by you. In return

for which, you receive food and shelter."

"What... service?"

"Do you know what an army is?" The girl nodded, once again oblivious to the heavy sarcasm in